Mechanical-electrical keyboard encoding device



FIG-1 1 Jan. 10, 1967 w, HADLEY 3,297,149

MECHANICAL-ELECTRICAL KEYBOARD ENCODING DEVICE Filed June 11, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet l I I 22 ENCODING DEVICE 3 2o I oscoome 3 2 8 '1 UNIT COO R OKO iJOfiDO g TYPESETTING $25 MACHINE F lG-2 42 50b 3O soc INVENTOR.

WlLLlAM A. HADLEY ATTORNEYS BY WM, M; W

Jan. 10, 1967 w. A. HADLEY 3,297,149

MECHANICAL-ELECTRICAL KEYBOARD ENCODING DEVICE Filed June 11, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 DOWN TO SHIFT REGISTERS VENTOR,

WILLIAM A. HADLEY ATTORNEYS BY WMM7QZ75 United States Patent 3,297,149 MECHANICAL-ELEQTRICAL KEYEUARD ENCODING DEVHIE William A. Hadley, Tappan, N.Y., assignor to Harris Inter-type Corporation, Cleveland, Uhio, a corporation of Delaware Filed June 11, 1965, Ser. No. 463,200 2 Claims. (Cl. 19918) This invention relates to a device for producing a coded output by manipulation of a keyboard, and particularly to such a device as applied to keyboards used to provide an input to typesetting machines.

In providing a manually operated keyboard with an encoding device, to produce a coded output representative of the characters selected by the keyboard operator, in their order of selection, it is particularly desirable to avoid the production of an erroneous combination code where two keys are struck simultaneously, or almost so. With some devices presently available, it is possible to depress two keys at the Same time, or nearly so, with the result that only one code is derived from the encoding device, and it represents neither of the keys struck, but rather some combination thereof which identifies an entirely different character,

It is possible to train a keyboard operator to develop a ryhthm of operation which essentially avoids striking two keys at the same time, but this inherently slows down the keyboard operation, whereas it is desirable if possible to permit the keyboard operator to proceed at the opti mum rate. For example, there are typesetting machines which can operate at speeds which exceed the normal speed of operation of the so-called printer, the operator of a typesetting machine keyboard. The present inven tion enables the keyboard operator to proceed at a faster rate, with less regard to maintaining an exact rhythmical operation.

Accordingly, the present invention has for its primary object the provision of an improved keyboard encoding device which positively avoids inadvertent erroneous coded outputs, as might result from depressing more than one key at the same time.

Another object of the invention is to provide in a keyboard an encoding arrangement including mechanical interlocking parts which assure that each of the output combinations or codes resulting from depression of a single key is unique, and that only one code can be produced at a time corresponding to the key which has been struck.

A further object of the invention is to provide in such a device an arrangement whereby the encoding is performed mechanically, through a mechanical interlock system, and this system in turn actuates an electrical output system which is equipped with a switching arrangement that insures a complete code combination is transmitted through the electrical output of the encoding device.

An additional object of the invention is to provide in combination with a mechanically interlocked keyboardoperated encoding apparatus, a plurality of code switches which, by selective closing thereof, can be caused to set up a coded electrical output, and wherein a circuit is provided controlling the application of an electrical pulse through whichever of these encoding switches are closed, only after the switches have been closed, to assure that the desired electrical code output is transmitted as electrical pulses on the selected output lines at the same time, whereby the code can be transferred into an electronic shift register or the like without altering the code due to delays in transmitting some portion thereof.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following description, the accompanying drawings, and the appended claims.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram illustrating the overall arrangement of a mechanical-electrical keyboard and encoding device in accordance with the present invention, particularly as applied to a typesetting machine;

FIG. 2 is a somewhat schematic drawing showing the relation of a key on the keyboard with its corresponding keybar, the code bars associated therewith, and the code output switches which are actuated by the code bars;

FEG. 3 is a detail view of one of the code bars shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is the elementary circuit diagram for the electrical output from the encoding switches operated by the code bars; and

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the mechanical coding and interlock arrangement as between several keys of the keyboard.

Referring to the drawings, which illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention, FIG. 1 shows a keyboard it to which the mechanical-electrical encoding device 12 is attached, preferably incorporated as an integral part thereof. As a result of the pressing of a single key on the keyboard, a discrete code will be produced in the form of electrical pulses transmitted simultaneously through one or more (according to the code) of the output lines 15. These lines, for example in the form of a cable, are in turn connected to a shift register 18, of conventional construction, and the output from the shift register through the cable 20 is applied to an electricalmechanical decoding device 22, for example of the type disclosed in copending application Serial No. 463,198, (our Docket 4305), filed on even date herewith, and assigned to the assignee of this application. This decoding device provides the control for automatic typesetting machine 25, whereby type is set, mechanically or photographically according to the form of type-setting machine, in accordance with the coded information.

Each of the key buttons 30, as shown in FIG. 2, is fixed to the end of a key lever 32, which is mounted to pivot on a fulcrum rod 33, and forms an actuating means from the key. The opposite or Working end of lever 32 is arranged to engage with a keybar 35,. such that this bar will be lifted when its corresponding key button is depressed. In the illustrated example the keybar is provided with six notches 37 at its forward edge, adjacent the key lever 32, such that the ends of the various key levers can be received in any one of these notches. With this arrangement it is possible therefore to have six rows of keys and key levers, but in any event, each key button has its own lever and its own related keybar 35, although all the keybars are of the same form and construction. Therefore, there will be as many keybars as there are keys on the keyboard. The rear edge of each keybar 35 is provided with a projecting heel 38 which is adapted to rest on a supporting or banking bar 39 which thus provides a common rest or reference position for the keybars.

The ke'ybars are also provided with an elongated opening 4%) having eight vertically spaced coding elements, such as notches 42 adjacent the forward edge of the bar, and a further set of eight interlock elements, such as notches 43 along the rearward edge of the opening 40, and in the illustrated embodiment located somewhat below the notches 42. Extending through the aligned openings of the keybars are eight code bars 50a50h. These code bars are provided with forwardly extending code fin means 52, FIG. 3, according to a predetermined pattern, and rearwardly extending interlock fin means 54 according to the opposite or complementary pattern of the code. The code bar 5011 is provided only with a code fin, but it extends the full length of the keyboard so as to be operable by raising of any one of the keybars 35.

FIG. 3 shows the construction of a typical one of the code bars, including the shaft-like ends 55 which provide a pivotal mounting for the body of the keybar. The code fins 52 project from the forward edge of the body of the bar, and at the rear of the bar, opposite the open spaces between code fins 52, there are rearwardly projecting interlock fins 54.

At the end of each code bar there is a code bar magnet holder or carrier 58 which provides a mounting for a small permanent magnet 59, carried eccentrically with respect to the axis of the ends 55. Mounted adjacent to this magnet is a so-called reed switch 60, normally open, and adapted to be closed due to action on its parts, by the field of magnet 59 when the corresponding code bar is rotated. As shown in FIG. 4, there are seven of these switches connected in parallel electrical encoding circuits, and they are appropriately numbered Gila-60g, corresponding to their related code bars. The switch 60h is connected in a series circuit to control the input to the parallel encoding circuits, and this switch is operated by the code bar 5071. The switch 6011 is sometimes referred to hereafter as the last closing switch.

FIG. illustrates exemplary keybar-code bar relationships for several different keys. Thus, the keybar 35A is shown lifted by depressing the corresponding keybutton, to produce the output code acg (using the nomenclature of the TTS system, this would be the code 00, l, 5 which identifies the character Z). It will be noted that the forward or code notches 42 have engaged the code fins 52a, 52c, 52g and 52h, and the corresponding code bars have been rotated. The interlock notches 43 are just engaged with the interlock fins of the code bars 50b, 50d, 50:: and 50]. Since these code bars are an inactive part of the code, and their corresponding switches should not be closed, these keybars are not rotated. Thus, lifting of this particular keybar will close switches 60a, 60c and 60g to set up the electrical encoding circuit, and due to the slight angular displacement of the switch 64th, with respect to the other switches, switch 60h will close slightly after the other switches making up the code, thereby completing a circuit through which a pulse from the input line 65 (FIG. 4) can be applied, through the closed encoding switches, and via the cable 15 to the shift register 18.

The position of the inactive keybars 35B, 35C, and 35D for three other keys are shown with the code bars rotated according to the code pattern set up by raising the keybar shown in FIG. 5A, as previously described. For sake of reference, it should be noted that the code for the keybar 35B is d, e, 7 (2, 3, 4), the code for the keybar 35C is b, c, g (0, 1, 5), and the code for the keybar 35D is c, g (1, 5).

It will be understood that the keybars 35B, 35C, and 35D are not raised. Therefore, the interlock fins on the code bars 50a, 50c and 50g can move somewhat within the interlock notches 43 of these keybars and the corresponding code bars are able to rotate and close their corresponding encoding switches. However, at each one of these other keybars there is at least one interlock fin which .is depressed and engaging the bottom of an interlock notch in that keybar, interfering with the ability of that keybar to be raised.

If two keys are depressed simultaneously, neither one of them will be able to lift its related keybar far enough to produce an effective rotation of the code bars resulting in an electrical output. At no time is it possible to lift more than one keybar fully to the position where an electrical output code will result.

In the interests of simplifying the description, certain constructional arrangements have been omitted from the drawings. Obviously, each of the keybars 35 must be mounted for sufficient vertical movement to produce the necessary rotation of the desired code bars. Likewise, each keybar must be mounted in alignment with its related key lever 32 in order to assure precise operation thereof.

The shaft ends 55 of the code bars are mounted for rotation in a portion of the supporting frame or housing of the device, and to illustrate this mounting a small section of end frame is indicated at 7 0 in FIG. 2.v Brackets '72 on this frame provide physical support for the switches tltla-fitlh to assure proper alignment of these switches for actuation only when the corresponding code bar magnets are rotated to a predetermined position, i.e., the fully actuated position of the corresponding code bar. Due to possible interaction of the flux fields from the various permanent magnets, in some constructions it may be desirable to provide suitable shielding between the various switches and magnet carriers. Likewise, for convenience it may be desirable to mount every other magnet and switch at one end of the code bars, and the alternate magnet and switches at the other ends, thereby providing more space for each cooperating magnet and reed switch, while still keeping as compact an arrangement of the code bars as is possible.

The last closing switch feature of the present invention is particularly useful when the electrical code output from the encoding device is applied to some input such as an electronic shift register, where it is desirable to have all digits of the code transmitted to the register simultaneously. In applications where this feature is not important, and it is possible to allow a certain span of time for the transmission of all digits of the code, it is possible to eliminate this feature and as a result the code bar 50h and its corresponding magnet and switch 60h can be eliminated under such circumstances.

As previously noted, all of the keybars 35 are of like construction, and they can be readily and economically reproduced as stampings or the like. The code bars, having the unique arrangements of code fins and interlock fins, likewise can be constructed in an economical fashion, as by casting them from a suitable rigid plastic material, or building them from inexpensive stampings and rod. The mounting for the code bars can be readily arranged to provide for substitution of different sets of code bars, whereby the device can produce different output codes. The foregoing description has been based upon a construction where the code produced is the wellknown Teletypesetter (TTS) code used for the control of automatic typesetting machines. Such a code is a six-digit code, and the seventh digit provided substitutes for the shift and unshift codes. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that by appropriate constructions of the code bars other and different output codes can be easily obtained.

The present invention thus provides a mechanicalelectrical encoding device, operable from a keyboard or similar input, wherein only one unique code representing a selected character can be generated at a time. Also, the invention provides for simultaneous application of pulses over the selected ones of the electrical code output lines, thereby assuring that the entire code is impressed or applied at one time to the device arranged to receive it.

While the form of the apparatus herein described constitutes a preferred embodiment of the invention, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to this precise form of apparatus, and that changes may be made therein without departing from the scope of the invention which is defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

ll. In an encoding device of the character described, the combination of:

a plurality of keybars mounted for vertical movement;

a heel member extending outwardly from each of said keybars;

a supporting bar horizontally mounted adjacent said keybars to engage each heel member to define a rest position and to support said keybars;

actuating means connected to each corresponding keybar for shifting the keybar vertically upwardly from said rest positions;

each of said lceybars being identical and having a vertically oriented elongated opening therein provided with a set of code elements along a first edge portion thereof and interlocking elements along the opposite edge portion thereof, said interlocking elements being positioned directly opposite said code elements;

means mounting said keybars in side by side relation with said code elements and said interlocking elements of corresponding keybars aligned in the rest position;

a plurality of code bars mounted for rotation about their respective longitudinal axis and extending through the elongated openings in all of said keybars;

a plurality of electrical switches operatively connected to be controlled by rotation of respective ones of said code bars;

circuit means including said switches for transmitting a code according to the opening and closing of said switches by said code bars;

code fin means on said code bars extending from one side of said bars into the path of movement of cerkeybars are arranged to return to their gravity when the actuating means is released.

tain of said code elements of said keybars according to the code pattern such that vertical movement of a keybar from its rest position will cause engagement of some of the code elements with the code fin means on certain ones of said code bars to cause rotation in one direction of one or more of said code bars; and

interlocking fin means on said code bars extending from the other side of said code bars into the path of said interlock elements in a pattern complementary to said code fin means for tending to cause rotation of said code bars in the opposite direction such that vertical movement of any keybar will produce rotation of one or more of said code bars in a unique code pattern and simultaneously move at least one interlocking fin means into engagement with an interlocking element on each of said other keybars to prevent the effective movement of more than one keybar at a time.

2. The apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein the rest position by References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS ROBERT E. PULFREY, Primary Examiner.

W. F. MCCARTHY, Assistant Examiner. 

1. IN AN ENCODING DEVICE OF THE CHARACTER DESCRIBED, THE COMBINATION OF: A PLURALITY OF KEYBARS MOUNTED FOR VERTICAL MOVEMENT; A HEEL MEMBER EXTENDING OUTWARDLY FROM EACH OF SAID KEYBARS; A SUPPORTING BAR HORIZONTALLY MOUNTED ADJACENT SAID KEYBARS TO ENGAGE EACH HEEL MEMBER TO DEFINE A REST POSITION AND TO SUPPORT SAID KEYBARS; ACTUATING MEANS CONNECTED TO EACH CORRESPONDING KEYBAR FOR SHIFTING THE KEYBAR VERTICALLY UPWARDLY FROM SAID REST POSITIONS; EACH OF SAID KEYBARS BEING IDENTICAL AND HAVING A VERTICALLY ORIENTED ELONGATED OPENING THEREIN PROVIDED WITH A SET OF CODE ELEMENTS ALONG A FIRST EDGE PORTION THEREOF AND INTERLOCKING ELEMENTS ALONG THE OPPOSITE EDGE PORTION THEREOF, SAID INTERLOCKING ELEMENTS BEING POSITIONED DIRECTLY OPPOSITE SAID CODE ELEMENTS; MEANS MOUNTING SAID KEYBARS IN SIDE BY SIDE RELATION WITH SAID CODE ELEMENTS AND SAID INTERLOCKING ELEMENTS OF CORRESPONDING KEYBARS ALIGNED IN THE REST POSITION; A PLURALITY OF CODE BARS MOUNTED FOR ROTATION ABOUT THEIR RESPECTIVE LONGITUDINAL AXIS AND EXTENDING THROUGH THE ELONGATED OPENINGS IN ALL OF SAID KEYBARS; A PLURALITY OF ELECTRICAL SWITCHES OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO BE CONTROLLED BY ROTATION OF RESPECTIVE ONES OF SAID CODE BARS; CIRCUIT MEANS INCLUDING SAID SWITCHES FOR TRANSMITTING A CODE ACCORDING TO THE OPENING AND CLOSING OF SAID SWITCHES BY SAID CODE BARS; CODE FIN MEANS ON SAID CODE BARS EXTENDING FROM ONE SIDE OF SAID BARS INTO THE PATH OF MOVEMENT OF CERTAIN OF SAID CODE ELEMENTS OF SAID KEYBARS ACCORDING TO THE CODE PATTERN SUCH THAT VERTICAL MOVEMENT OF A KEYBAR FROM ITS REST POSITION WILL CAUSE ENGAGEMENT OF SOME OF THE CODE ELEMENTS WITH THE CODE FIN MEANS ON CERTAIN ONES OF SAID CODE BARS TO CAUSE ROTATION IN ONE DIRECTION OF ONE OR MORE OF SAID CODE BARS; AND INTERLOCKING FIN MEANS ON SAID CODE BARS EXTENDING FROM THE OTHER SIDE OF SAID CODE BARS INTO THE PATH OF SAID INTERLOCK ELEMENTS IN A PATTERN COMPLEMENTARY TO SAID CODE FIN MEANS FOR TENDING TO CAUSE ROTATION OF SAID CODE BARS IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION SUCH THAT VERTICAL MOVEMENT OF ANY KEYBAR WILL PRODUCE ROTATION OF ONE OR MORE OF SAID CODE BARS IN A UNIQUE CODE PATTERN AND SIMULTANEOUSLY MOVE AT LEAST ONE INTERLOCKING FIN MEANS INTO ENGAGEMENT WITH AN INTERLOCKING ELEMENT ON EACH OF SAID OTHER KEYBARS TO PREVENT THE EFFECTIVE MOVEMENT OF MORE THAN ONE KEYBARD AT AT TIME. 